Lately I've had a major sewing/blogging crush on Beth of Sew DIY. The graphic design of her blog...the styling of her photos...her handmade wardrobe...I DROOL every time I visit her site. I discovered her via Instagram and love pretty much everything she creates. So recently, I decided to try out her Lou Box Top sewing pattern. It did not disappoint!
The pattern is extremely simple to sew, but it looks very ready-to-wear in my opinion. You can see that it has a very flowy, shall-I-say-boxy? fit. I think tops like this can be surprisingly flattering even with a large amount of ease. I made the size small, and it's perfect now in my postpartum state (and will still be great when I lose the remaining weight). As pictured, I am approximately 36-30-38. You know...when I hold the measuring tape REALLY tightly. ;) I am 5'6" and about 145 lbs here.
Something I really love about this top is that I can wear it with a nursing top underneath, and I have plenty of ease to pull the top up to nurse discreetly and still have both my top and waist/back covered (by the tank).
Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the back when I was out doing my selfies, so this dress form shot will have to do for the keyhole neckline. Isn't that adorable? It's a simple finish, but it looks so nice. On simple tops like this, I think it's all in the little details that the designer adds to make the garment look like something off-the-rack instead of handmade.
Speaking of details, I also LOVE this side vent. It gives visual interest, and it's functional, too. It makes it easy to access my jean pockets and gives a little room when I'm sitting in my minivan (often) or nursing Finn. (Though not necessarily at the same time. Sometimes. But not all the time.)
The pattern itself comes with lots of great options and works for knits or wovens. I did view C with the scoop neck and used a rayon challis that had been hanging out in my stash for a couple years. I had actually fallen out-of-love with this print, but I think it works well for this top and is somewhat flattering with my current hair color and skintone which...can you say...TRANSPARENT? No, really, I'm just bad at camera exposure. Okay, and transparent.
The pattern itself was straightforward - beautifully illustrated, well drafted, etc. I have only positive things to say. But don't take my word for it; just check out all these gorgeous tops in Beth's tester roundup!
Have a happy, loooong weekend! Stay cool! And do some sewing! xoxo
